Putin and Trump to meet in Alaska: Key summit and global tensions

On Friday, August 15, in the frigid wilderness of Alaska, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will sit face to face in a meeting that could determine the course of the war in Ukraine and, with it, the geopolitical balance of the planet.

Trump chose this territory with a particular historical significance: Alaska belonged to the Russian Empire until 1867, when it was sold to the United States for $7.2 million. Now, more than 150 years later, it is once again the scene of a meeting fraught with tension and expectations.

The news first came from Moscow, via Putin's advisor, Yuri Ushakov. "It seems logical to us to hold this important and long-awaited summit in Alaska," he declared, making it clear that the geographical proximity and historical symbolism are no coincidence.

What was surprising, however, was the ease with which Russia accepted Trump's disclosure, breaking with the custom of coordinating such large-scale announcements between Moscow and Washington. This move appears to have given the Republican a media coup among his electoral base.

From kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky reacted firmly: "No one is going to give our land to the occupiers. Any decision without Ukraine is a decision against peace."

Zelensky warned that any agreement that doesn't include Ukraine's direct participation will be stillborn. His message seeks to curb the narrative of a possible "territorial exchange," which, according to leaks, is on the table in Alaska.

Reports about what Trump and Putin will discuss are contradictory. Some sources indicate that Russia would accept a ceasefire if Ukraine withdraws its troops from the unoccupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk. Others claim that Moscow also seeks Kherson and Zaporizhia, regions it has failed to capture after more than three years of fighting.

Ukraine, for its part, would only accept a temporary withdrawal from Donietsk and Lugansk in exchange for Russia completely withdrawing from Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, with security guarantees and possible entry into NATO.

With less than a week to go until the summit, Trump's challenge is to come up with a viable proposal that won't provoke immediate rejection from kyiv or frustration from Moscow. The possibility of diplomatic failure looms, and the entire world is watching every move leading up to the meeting.

Alaska, a site of historic sales and geographical proximity, is now preparing to become the epicenter of a geopolitical game in which every word, gesture, and concession could have consequences for decades.